By Junior Grandison, Freelance WriterWESTMORELAND
THE JUNIOR Councillors of the Westmoreland Parish Council held their monthly meeting at the Anglican Church Hall, Savanna-la-Mar on November 22 as part of the Parish Council's celebration of Local Government Month.
Twenty-one students participated, 14 representing Councillors and seven as officers of the Council. They came from schools within the Council's 14 parochial divisions.
Junior Mayor and Councillor for the Savanna-la-Mar division Orlando Irving, a sixth form student of Manning's High welcomed all present.
Junior Councillor for the Petersfield division Latesha Dillon, a Grade Ten student of the Petersfield Comprehen-sive High School in her presentation asked the Council to write a letter to Prime Minister P.J. Patterson extending their sympathy to him and to wish him a speedy recovery from his illness. Junior Mayor Irving instructed his junior secretary Tanesha Dixon to do so.
Turning to parochial matters Junior Councillor Dillon raised a number of issues such as poor garbage collection and disposal, absence of a landfill site in the parish and the terrible conditions of roads, namely Petersfield to Galloway and Heartford to Williamsfield.
GARBAGE
Junior Councillor Dillon told Junior Mayor Irving that garbage was being dumped all over the parish especially in her division. She reminded the Council that Roaring River and Petersfield are prone to typhoid outbreaks and against this background she was calling upon the Minister of Local Government, Minister of Health and the Westmoreland Parish Council to act speedily in identifying a proper landfill site for this parish.
Turning to the problem of bad roads, she said it seemed as if the relevant authorities did not respond to the people's problems unless they demonstrated and this should not be so.
Mayor Irving told the disgruntled Councillor Dillon that $100,000 will shortly be disbursed to his Councillors to carry out drain cleaning in their division. On the matter of garbage collection Junior Mayor Irving said he would be taking up this matter with Western Parks and Markets and he would be writing a letter to the Ministry of Local Government about the landfill site in the parish.
Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Savanna-la-Mar division in her presentation said: "Savanna-la-Mar is the capital and if no other division is taken care of certainly the centre of commercial activities must be kept in prime shape."
The Deputy Junior Mayor then voiced her concern at the lack of functional drains in the town and upsurge of criminal activities, but she said the police were trying their best to get crime under control.
ONE-WAY SYSTEM
On a more positive note she said the one-way system which was introduced some time ago, together with the alternate route, had greatly enhanced the free flow of traffic. She also had high praise for the traffic cops who monitor motorists especially those who breach traffic violations.
In responding to the drainage problems deputy junior mayor told Councillor Tanickea Bennett that each councillor will be getting $100,000 for drain cleaning in their division.
Mayor Ralph Anglin said: "For a number of years we have been going forward with the Junior Council and as the years go by it gets more and more interesting.
"I feel assured that these young people are on the right track and they are being properly trained and prepared to take their rightful place in the years ahead. And I believe that out of these Junior Council meetings will come Councillors, Member of Parliaments, Ministers of Government or even a Prime Minister. We at this Council will continue to do our best to support Junior Councillors and I hope those after us will do the same as these young people have a vital role to play in the future of this island."
